When I look back on that trip, I’m not surprised that we went laden with enough parachute cord and emergency blankets to weather the Apocalypse. But I cringe to re-member that we paddled out in near gale-force winds with neither the knowledge or strength to rescue a swamped boat stuffed with hundreds of pounds of tied-in gear.
So concerned with the imagined dangers, we failed to see the real peril in the cold water all around us. Our own assessment of the hazards left us woefully misguided; only knowledge and experience can lead to an accurate perception of risk.
Not surprisingly, at campsite 33, we had an emergency-free week—no bears, burns or boredom. The military shovel was never unfolded, the knives stayed sheathed and the flare gun remained unloaded.
Slowly, with each subsequent trip, our worries fell away, as did the unnecessary gear. We’d been so busy packing to slay unlikely what-if scenarios, it took years to realize that only the finely tempered edge of experience can strike a dragon’s heart.
A decade later, Canoeroots’ managing editor, Kaydi Pyette, still brings the badminton kit—just in case.
This article originally appeared in Canoeroots and Family Camping, Spring 2014.
